Year Of The Spark: October 29
by Sparky Army
Summary: Family Moments.


_We, the Sparky Army, decree 2008 to be the Year of the Spark. We pledge to post a new sparky story or chapter of a sparky story every day from January 1, 2008 to December 31, 2008. Though the Powers that Be have removed Elizabeth Weir from the regular cast of Stargate Atlantis, we feel that she remains an integral part of the show, and that the relationship between her and John Sheppard is too obvious to be ignored. We hope that you, and anyone might happen to read these works, agree. _

_And if that isn't official enough for you, we don't know what is. Seriously, guys, we're just trying to have some fun--and show TPTB that Sparky is the way to go. So sit back and enjoy the 366 stories coming your way!_

Author's Note (Beth - Formerly Ya Betcha): Back to the fluff...

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**Family Moments**

by Beth - Formerly Ya Betcha

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_The proposal._

_Okay, you can do this._ John thought. _It's no big deal. She can only say yes or…no. _He gulped. He walked over to her. His right hand gripped the small box in his pocket. "Hey, can I talk to you for a moment?"

Elizabeth nodded and followed him out onto the balcony. She smiled. "Is there a problem John?"

"No." He froze._ What am I supposed to do now? Kneel! Right._ He dropped to one knee and pulled the jewelry box out of his pocket. She watched him with a wide-eyed expression. "Will you marry me, Doctor Elizabeth Weir?"

She froze for what seemed to be an eternity. His stomach lurched. The only sound he could hear was the beating of his heart.

"Yes." Her voice sounded like a whisper. She smiled and laughed. "Yes."

He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her. "Yes?"

"Yes. Always yes."

* * *

_Boy or girl?_

Elizabeth climbed onto the bed and curled up against her husband. He wrapped his arms around her waist and she smiled. "Which do you want?"

"Hmm?" He asked sleepily.

"A boy or girl?"

"Oh, you mean a baby." He yawned.

She waited.

A moment later his eyes shot open and he sat up. John turned on the lamp on the nightstand. "A baby? You – baby? I'm going to be a fath-? When? What is it?"

She smiled and silenced him with a kiss.

* * *

'_Lantis._

"Can you say daddy?" John asked the little girl on his lap. "Mommy? Baby?"

Taylor Elizabeth smiled and nodded silently. She crawled off his lap and started to toddle away.

Elizabeth shook her head. "John, she'll talk when she wants."

"I know." He picked up one of Taylor's toys and held it out to her. "Can you say teddy bear? Teddy? Bear? Toy?"

Taylor laughed and hugged the stuffed animal. She dropped it then toddled over to the balcony door. " 'Lantis. Eart."

"Did you hear that?" John glanced over at Elizabeth.

She nodded then hurried over to Taylor and picked her up. "Don't go out on the balcony, honey."

Taylor grinned. "Eart. Eart. 'Lantis." She placed her tiny hand on her mom's stomach. "Baby."

Elizabeth looked at John and sighed. "You don't have to write down everything she does, you know."

"She'll only stay young so long." He scribbled his daughter's first words down and grinned. "Her first word was Atlantis. That's way better than Jean's."

"What was hers?" Elizabeth asked absentmindedly. Rodney had been so proud when his daughter had started to talk.

"Lemon."

* * *

_The Puddlejumper._

"Don't wander off."

Meredith Elle nodded at her dad's warning and glanced around the jumper bay. Her eyes were drawn to the little Puddlejumper in the corner.

The jumper was slightly pathetic looking in truth, with weapon fire marking its shell and dents on its back and sides. It looked rejected, tired and lonely.

But to Elle it looked magnificent. The weapon marks were badges of honor for a gallant warrior. The dents were scars, memories of heroic actions. The jumper was perfect, elderly and wise. She scurried over to the Puddlejumper and opened the door. She stepped inside then sat in the pilot's seat. _I didn't really wander off,_ she reasoned, _I'm still right here. It's not like I could fly it away._

Her eyes roamed over the jumper controls. _I can pretend to fly it though. Daddy won't mind that._ She buckled the seat belt then placed her hands on the controls and closed her eyes. _Up, up, up! Circle, turn, up, swoop, fire!_ A loud explosion roared through her daydream and Elle opened her eyes. "Oh no! Daddy!"

A hole in the jumper bay wall smoldered. Her father and Uncle Meredith were staring up at her. She frowned then gasped. "I'm flying!"

"Meredith Elle Sheppard, get down here right now!" John shouted.

"I'm trying, Daddy!" Elle shouted over the radio. "How do I land?"

Rodney covered his eyes with one hand then turned to John. "You didn't think to test her for the gene?" He shouted.

"Taylor didn't have it." John reasoned.

_Down. Land. Please._ The Puddlejumper returned to the ground with a moan. It missed flying, even with an inexperienced, but polite, pilot. Elle ran out of the jumper and over to her father. "I was flying Daddy! Wait until Mommy learns!"

John gulped. Elizabeth would kill him when she found out that her three-year-old daughter had flown a Puddlejumper while he was supposed to be watching her. "Elle, about that –"

"What Daddy?"

"Never mind."

* * *

_Olive._

Taylor and Elle stared over the edge of the cradle at the messy haired baby. They looked up at each other then at their parents.

"What's her name?" Taylor asked.

"Ava Olivia." John answered.

"Oh." Both girls considered this carefully.

Elle tilted her head to the side and pointed to her baby sister. "She looks like an olive."

"Yeah." Taylor grinned. "She does." She leaned over the side and touched her sister's forehead. "I dub thee 'Olive'."

Olive cooed.

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End file.
